Max Brand

I finished reading "The Wolf Strain" by Max Brand over the weekend. Not a novel, but three, of what were referred to as short novels during the pulp days. All in 215 pages. Back in the twenties and thirties when these stories were written authors were allowed to let their stories be what they needed to be. Today we call these stories novelettes or novellas and we'd be pulling our hair out trying to find a market for them.

Before each "novel" there's a bit of history supplied which added to my enjoyment. Max Brand's real name was Frederick Faust and he was a regular contributor to "Western Story Magazine". Due to the Depression, in 1933 Faust's publisher cut his payment from five cents to four per word. In 1934 Faust agent pre-sold 200,000 words to their competitor under the Max Brand byline. His stories were published in "Star Westerns" which helped to establish this magazine as one of the top Western magazines of its day.

Funny to think that one author could make such a difference to a publication. Publishers tend to forget that while writers need an outlet for their stories, their publications wouldn't exist without the writers. What's really frustrating is that, for the most part, short story writers are being paid less now, then during the Depression. (sigh)

Oh yeah, and if you get a chance to read some Max Brand, don't hesitate. They're a fun read with a great combination of Western and Crime fiction.